


From Dawn to Dusk

by Funyariinpa



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Family Issues, M/M, Minor Ryoma/Kagero, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Character Death, Post-Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest, Rating might go up as the story progresses, Road Trips, Romance, Slow Burn, Strangers to Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:14:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27155768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Funyariinpa/pseuds/Funyariinpa
Summary: Shiro's life was already difficult enough. He was going to inherit a throne of his tattered home country and had expectations placed on him that he did not ask for. The last thing he needed was his aunt announcing that he would need to go on a trip to the country he hated the most and meet the family responsible for all of his troubles. He would go along and hope it would be over soon.
Relationships: Shinonome | Shiro/Siegbert
Comments: 17
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This idea has been in my head for a long time. I adore Shiro/Siegbert, but I don't see that much content for them. So we gotta be the change we want to see in the world, right? Right.
> 
> This story happens around 4 years after the events of Conquest. The war has left the relationship between Nohr and Hoshido frail and tense, but cooperative. Both kingdoms are trying to recover from the war, but Hoshido is in worse shape because it was the nation that got invaded and lost. I could've chosen to set it post-Revelation, but where would the fun be in that?
> 
> Shiro's 19 years old in this story and Siegbert is 21, due to deeprealm shenanigans.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Shiro entered the throne room in slow, unsure steps, trying his best to not show his nervousness as he approached Queen Hinoka, who stood in front of the ornamented, golden throne. Normally, he wouldn't be this nervous, it wasn't the first time his aunt summoned him to the throne room and it certainly wouldn't be the last, but usually when she did it, the throne room was filled with other people from the Hoshidan court.

He felt so little, so insignificant standing there in that empty, vast room. What could be so important that she had to speak with him in private? Was he in trouble? What did he do this time?

"Shiro," Queen Hinoka said.

"Auntie," he replied.

"At ease, my nephew, I didn't call you to reprimand you."

"Well, that's great and all, but that still doesn't make me feel better," Shiro said. "So what's up with you wanting to talk to me in private?"

Despite what he just said, Hinoka noticed her nephew assume a more relaxed, casual position, one that she had to tell him again and again to refrain from showing it when in public. She would give him credit for trying to look serious this time.

Shiro tensed up as he saw the queen walk towards him. She had that expression on her face, her lips hard pressed against each other and furrowed brows, that indicated she had something to say that would inevitably upset Shiro. Did she schedule even more classes into his busy schedule? Was he going to cut training time to attend these lessons? Did someone die?

"Shiro, I called you here today to inform you that we are going to visit the Nohrian royal family," she said.

Shiro blinked.

"You mean you, right?"

"No, we."

He did not understand that wrong.

"Auntie, what the hell?!"

His first reaction was to wish the news were that someone died. Then he retracted that thought, because it was an awful thing to wish for. Still, he couldn't believe that she wanted him to go to Nohr right at that moment. He had so much to do, the last thing he wanted was to stop everything to visit that vile place.

"Shiro, watch you language," Hinoka reprimanded.

"Okay, look, I understand that you need to go, you're queen of Hoshido and all of that, but why me?" he asked. "I've yet to ascend the throne! Surely you can spare me from visiting the Nohrian royal family for a bit longer?"

"It's exactly because you're about to ascend the throne that I want you to come with me," she said. "Shiro, you are Hoshido's crown prince. In two years, you are going to become its king! It is about time you started developing your diplomacy skills with our biggest ally and get them to know you better."

"Biggest ally," he said, bitterness dripping in his voice. "Former invaders, you mean."

Hinoka bit her lip and, for a moment, Shiro thought that she would say something that agreed with his sentiment. Instead, she regained her composure and said: "Former invaders or not, right now our alliance with them is beneficial to us. One of the reasons why we are going it's to discuss trading routes between our nations."

"You can't seriously believe this!" Shiro exclaimed. "Auntie, the Nohrians are parasites!"

"Watch your tongue, Shiro," she warned him. "Control your temper."

"It's just us here, isn't it? Let me be angry!"

Hinoka knew that Shiro wouldn't take the news well and they both knew that she asked for them to be left alone exactly because of this kind of reaction. Shiro had this unfortunate habit of wearing his emotions on his sleeve and, while he had been trying to get better at it, still had a long way to go until he fixed that.

"I understand your frustration, I truly do," Hinoka said. "However, regardless of your feelings towards the Nohrian royal family, they are still our allies and it is important that we remain on friendly terms with them."

"But should we? After they've declared war on us and invaded our land, should we really remain friendly with them?" he asked, in a faint hope to make her change her mind.

"Shiro..."

"Oh, sure, when the war was over and they won, they didn't take any of our lands for themselves. But do you really think we should be grateful for them doing the bare minimum and not stealing from us after all the pain they've caused?"

"Yes, yes I do."

"But..."

"I do not ask you to be grateful to the Nohrians for not taking any of our lands," she said. "I ask you to be grateful that our situation is not worse. Hoshido is recovering from its wounds, the last thing we need is to make the ones responsible for them angry."

Shiro became quiet, a deep frown on his face. He wanted to argue more, but he knew his aunt well enough to realize that it would be useless to try to convince her otherwise at that point. Her expression softened a little and she crossed her arms, an indication that their conversation was reaching its end.

"We depart in three days. I hope you take this time to educate yourself on our trip."

\---------

Shiro had no desire to learn about the Nohrian royal family, even if he had to meet them by obligation. However, he was painfully aware that as much as he loathed them, he did not want to come off as an ignorant prince once he was forced to meet them. He already had that told to him enough from his family and his instructors. The young prince let out a tired sigh and shook his head. He would do his research eventually.

With that decided, he first would do his weekly training session with Caeldori, the daughter of Subaki, one of the kingdom's finest pegasus knights. It was one of the few things he looked forward too during the week, as Caeldori was a very good friend of his who could actually keep up with him and make training more interesting.

As he crossed the lush and green courtyard of Shirasagi Castle, Shiro couldn't help but enjoy as much of the warm sunlight as he could, as his mind reminded him that soon enough, the sunlight would not shine down on him for a good long time. His state of mind was already processing the anticipated mourning over trading the warm sunlight and the beautiful gardens for the dark, suffocating halls of Castle Krakenburg.

He sort of understood why his aunt kept friendly relations with King Xander of Nohr. A little bit. It was as she had said, their country was recovering from a war and the last thing they wanted was to make their former aggressors upset. However, he thought that she was putting way too much effort into that relationship.

What a pain. Once he became king, he would make sure to find a way to cut ties with Nohr for good.

Shiro reached the vacant training grounds, where Caeldori patiently awaited him, carrying a wooden naginata on each hand and with a strange smile on her face. He was surprised to see Asugi there as well, as he knew his retainer loathed training and only did the bare minimum when it came to exercising.

"Hey, Caeldori!" he greeted. "And… hey, Asugi. What are you doing here?"

"You sure know how to greet me, Shiro."

"Can you blame me for being surprised? When have I ever seen you here in the training grounds before?"

Asugi rolled his eyes and the lollipop in his mouth. Shiro was not wrong, but he did not need to point it out. Caeldori also was rather curious about why Asugi was there and has the feeling that he was about to say the real reason he decided to meet them there. She handed the naginata to Shiro and they headed towards the arena at the center of the training grounds.

As they got into their starting positions, Asugi decided to ask:

"So, Shiro, when are you going to tell us that you're going to Nohr?"

Caeldori, in her moment of surprise, lost her perfect composure and dropped her weapon, which made Asugi smirk and Shiro groan. He turned to his retainer, who just watched the scene unfold with his back slumped against the wall.

"How did you know that?" he asked.

"So it is true?" Caeldori asked. "You are going to Nohr?"

"Not only that, but the reason our dear Shiro will go to Nohr is so that he can visit the royal family," Asugi said.

"You're going to visit the Nohrian royal family?!" she exclaimed, incredulous. "Why didn't you tell us sooner, Shiro? This is big news!"

"I was told about this today, a little before coming here," he said. "How do you know about it, Asugi?"

"I have my way of getting info."

They both stared at him suspiciously. Asugi twisted the lollipop in his mouth.

"Okay, fine, Setsuna told me that you were going and that I needed to accompany you on your travels," he admitted. "Retainer duties and all of that."

"She didn't waste any time, uh..."

Shiro wanted to end that conversation and start training. He did not want to think about the people he would be forced to meet in a few weeks. He was already forced to think about one too many things that gave him a headache with his lessons and responsibilities as crown prince. He wanted to at least give his mind a rest and focus on one of the few things he enjoyed.

Unfortunately, Caeldori would not allow him. She was curious and wanted to know the details of his trip, which was hard for Shiro to say no to. If there was one thing he enjoyed more than training, it was making her happy.

"My aunt said that one of the reasons we are going is to discuss trading routes," he explained. "But I think the main reason why we are going is to introduce me to King Xander."

"Makes sense, you have never met him before, right?"

"And if I could, I would keep it that way."

"Shiro..."

"I know, I know..." Shiro sighed. "That would not be a good idea, Hoshido can't isolate itself like it used to if we hope to recover in any way. But still..."

Asugi listened to him in an uncomfortable silence and Caeldori fidgeted her fingers, her eyes trying to focus on him, but every now and then she would stare at the ground. They knew Shiro's desire to avoid that trip had very little to do with what he thought was right for Hoshido. His main reason was because there was no person in the world that he loathed more than King Xander of Nohr, eldest son of the former King Garon, the monster that invaded his country and was aided by his heartless children. His hatred for the man was so intense that it extended to anyone associated with him, though to a lesser extend.

None of them could blame him for his feelings. If Asugi and Caeldori were allowed a moment of sincerity, they too did not see the Nohrians as friends. Political allies? Sure, anything to make them not knock on their door and invade them again while their army was recovering. But friends? Their people's scars were still healing from the war four years ago for any of them to begin considering forgiveness.

"Oh, cheer up you two!" Caeldori said. "At least you will get to leave this stuffy palace and experience different things. See… different people."

"Exciting stuff," Asugi said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You know, Asugi, I've hear that Nohrian desserts tend to have a flavor three times stronger than an average Hoshidan sweet."

"If you think you're going to make me feel more optimistic with promises of stronger sweets, know that you are absolutely correct."

"Good to know at least one of us is going to get something out of this trip," Shiro said. "Got anything good for me Caeldori?"

"Hmm… well, you might find a sparring partner there that might give you a unique perspective on a different combat style," she said, ever so eloquently.

"Speaking of sparring partner," he said, showing the wooden naginata. "I'd like if my current one would pick up her weapon train with me."

"Oh, sure! Sorry that it took so long."

They both got into their starting position and pointed their naginatas at each other. They exchanged blows at a casual and slow pace at first, both of them still warming up so they could start sparring for real. However, as soon as Shiro was starting to feel the flow of their training, Caeldori stopped abruptly and gave him an uncharacteristically shy smile. That peaked his curiosity, enough for him to not feel immediate annoyance that she was stalling their training session.

"Actually, I have a favor to ask of you, Shiro."

"Okay?"

"Well, this is a little bit embarrassing, but..."

"Caeldori, just tell me what you want," he said. "You know that I can't say no to you."

"Since you are going to Nohr and you are going to meet the royal family..." she said. "There is a chance you might become acquainted with Prince Siegbert."

"Who?"

"King Xander's son," Asugi said. "You know? Crown prince of Nohr?"

"Don't tell me you don't know who Prince Siegbert is!"

"I mean, I know he has a son," Shiro said. "But I guess his name slipped my mind."

"And then you wonder why your aunt is so harsh on you! How do you forget the name of Nohr's crown prince?!" he exclaimed.

"For once I will have to agree with Asugi," Caeldori said. "Shiro, this is extremely negligent. Have you been paying attention to your lessons?"

"I have! I just forgot the guy's name, leave me alone!"

Shiro could feel his face grow warm from embarrassment and anger at their friends ruthless judgment. How about they try to deal with the pressure of becoming king in two years to see if they would know everything? Had it been just Asugi, he would confront him and make him shut up, but with Caeldori there...

"You still haven't told me what you want with this Siegbert person, Caeldori," Shiro said, instead.

"Siegbert person..." Caeldori sighed in slight annoyance. "Anyway, I was hoping you could tell me what he's like."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, that's it?" Asugi asked, equally as confused.

"What, aren't you both curious?" Caledori asked. "From what I've heard, Prince Siegbert is said to be very mysterious and reserved."

"So you already know what he is like," Shiro said.

"I'm being serious, Shiro," she said. "I'm genuinely curious about what kind of prince he is. From what little I've heard, he seems to resemble his father quite a lot in looks, but..."

"I'm already not interested in getting to know someone who resembles my father's murderer," he groaned.

Shiro expected to be reprimanded once again for that answer. He half expected Asugi to tell him to suck it up and that he couldn't say things like that as crown prince. He half expected Caeldori to tell him that he was being immature and that to be a good king, one would have to leave his feelings aside. Yet, none of those things happened. All he saw was his friends look at him with an empathetic understanding and in somber silence.

King Xander of Nohr… when King Garon and his family invaded Hoshido, his father, the then crown prince of Hoshido, Ryoma, was tasked with defending Castle Shirasagi from being taken over. He was their last line of defense, Hoshido's last stand against her cruel invaders. With his legendary katana, Raijinto, Ryoma challenged his long lost sister, Corrin and Prince Xander to a duel.

He could still remember the day where his aunt had arrived at his deeprealms, eyes as red as her hair from trying to hold back her tears as she announced to Shiro that his father died in combat and that Shiro was to be the next king once he became of age. His mother, Kagero, had also been slain while protecting his father from being interrupted in his duel, as she knew Nohrians had no sense of honor.

On that fateful day when his aunt came to visit him in his comfortable, detached bubble of a realm where he grew up in, reality crashed hard on him. Shiro, who had grown up oblivious to his own status as a prince, suddenly found himself without his parents and with the weight of a tattered nation on his shoulders. It was on that day that he learned about the violent war that his parents were trying to shield him from by hiding him in the deeprealms and what their role in that war was.

Shiro never fought in the war, he never got to see the suffering of his people firsthand, only the remains of the aftermath. One moment he was training with his naginata in order to beat his father in combat and maybe become a mercenary in the future. On another moment, he was crown prince of Hoshido and having to deal with a hectic life in the court that he was unfamiliar with, with not even his parents there to help guide him.

The young prince could never forgive them. He would not allow himself to forgive them.

Caeldori, realizing how much of those troubled memories she helped bring back with that conversation, quickly apologized for making such a thoughtless request. Shiro just shook his head and said:

"It's okay, Dori, really."

"Um… look, Shiro, I understand if you don't want to talk to Prince Siegbert, I certainly cannot fault you for your… feelings, but..."

"But?"

"In the end, he was not born guilty of his father's crimes," she said. "He might prove to be… decent."

Not born guilty of his father's crime. Shiro thought about that phrase, but couldn't help but doubt that King Xander's son could prove to not be rotten.

"Caeldori, you're way too kind," Asugi said, now having finished his lollipop. "And also very naive."

"Hey!"

"It's true that Prince Siegbert did not commit the same crimes as his father, but he was still raised by him. The fruit doesn't fall that far from the tree… or something like that."

"Exactly," Shiro nodded.

"Anyway, Shiro, since we can't avoid going on this trip, you'll need to control that mouth of yours to not say anything that might make them angry," he said. "You know how it is with that place, one wrong step and you'll have a bounty on your head."

"Yeah, yeah… I get it."

To their surprise, Shiro decided to put away his wooden naginata and head towards the entrance of the training grounds.

"Shiro, are you alright?"

"Sorry, Caeldori, I guess I'm not in the best head space to practice," he said. "I'll talk to you guys later, okay?"

So much for distracting his thoughts from the upcoming trip. Shiro now felt worse than before. Why was Caeldori so interested in some prince that she probably would never meet? Because he was reserved and mysterious? To Shiro, that could only mean he was probably just a very cold person. He would love to just ignore her request and avoid him at all costs.

However, he knew he couldn't say no to her. He would not go out of his way to talk to Prince Siegbert, but should by some unfortunate miracle Siegbert approach him, he would not give him the cold shoulder. That should be enough for him to not feel guilty for not wanting to do a favor so simple to his friend.

Shiro did not think it to be possible, but he now looked even less forward to that cursed trip. His only hope was that it would end soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro arrives at Castle Krakenburg and gets to meet King Xander and his family, including his son, Prince Siegbert.

The morning of Shiro’s departure from Castle Shirasagi was beautiful, almost infuriatingly so. The young prince basked in the glow of the rising sun, not a single cloud in the sky to obscure the rays of sunshine. They only made him get even slower into the carriage that was ready to leave.

“Shiro, hurry up and get in,” Queen Hinoka said from inside the carriage. “We are leaving.”

His aunt sure knew how to be a killjoy when she needed. He groaned and got inside the carriage, crossing his arms as he slumped on the soft couch, which, in turn, elicited a hearty chuckle from her. She waited for the door to shut and the carriage to start moving to adopt a more relaxed position together with her nephew.

“How nice of you to join me in this journey, Shiro.”

“I didn’t want to, but I guess somebody has to keep an eye on your well-being.”

“My well-being?” she laughed. “I don’t need you as my bodyguard, have Setsuna for that.”

“As I was saying, somebody has to keep an eye on your well-being.”

“Oh, now you’re being mean,” she said, though not hiding her laughter. “She’s been improving.”

“Auntie, you’re the one that takes care of your retainer, not the other way around,” Shiro said.

“True, though I suppose I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Shiro wouldn’t have it any other way either. His joking aside, his aunt was one of the strongest people he had ever known in his life. When the war was over and Hoshido was left in ruins, it was her that took over the throne and worked day and night to put it back to shape. Despite her initial insecurity over inheriting the throne, Hinoka did everything she could to bring back some form of stability to the country. 

And she did. She fought tooth and nail against more selfish nobles that had propositions that went against the common folk. She fought for reforms that were not seen as important, but she believed to be vital for a fast recovery. If Shiro could see the well maintained villages, the bountiful crops and have a feeling of safety during his trip through Hoshidan territory, he had his aunt to thank for it. He could only hope that he was as strong as her when he ascended the throne, he could only hope he was as strong as her once he became king.

He noticed Hinoka staring at the window and at first thought that she was just appreciating the lush view of the forest by the road, until he realized that she was looking upwards, at the pegasus knight flying at a moderate distance from the carriage. She had a gaze of longing, one that Shiro knew very well whenever he saw her near her guard.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Hm? Oh, I’m fine,” she said. “I was just reminiscing.”

Shiro nodded as he saw her regain her composure and then it was his turn to gaze at the window and daydream. He knew that his aunt would eventually want to go back to his lessons while they had free time, so he would just take the opportunity to rest.

\---------

“Shiro, wake up,” Hinoka said. “We are approaching Windmire capital, you will want to see this.”

He very much did not want to see whatever that cursed city had to offer. Shiro groaned and tried to show his aunt that his nap was worth not disturbing, but she was having none of that and said in a more stern voice: “Shiro, wake up. Now.”

“Urgh… fine...”

Shiro opened his eyes and sluggishly sat up, cracking up his lower back bones and neck from the bad sleeping position he was in. He looked outside and wondered what time it was, as the skies were covered with dark gray clouds and the forest at the road sides looked as barren as a forest could get. At first he didn’t know what Hinoka wanted him to see, as the view was not all that different from what he had seen during the one week he had been traveling through Nohrian territory.

It was only then that he noticed the massive wall of dark gray in the distance. He almost felt awful for not noticing something so gargantuan right away, but he just told himself that it was easy to miss it when everything around was also dark. As the carriage approached the heavy gates, Shiro clenched his teeth and fists. After almost three weeks of traveling, they were finally entering the lion’s den. His languor was no more and so, Shiro paid close attention to the view outside.

The first thing he noticed as they went deeper into the city it was that the streets had few people going on about their day. Unlike the busy streets of Shirasagi, that almost felt claustrophobic because of the frenetic commerce and activities, the streets of Windmire felt too spacious due to the little movement it showed. The structure of the houses also caught his attention, as the way they were constructed showed smaller windows and gave the impression that they were probably even darker on the inside. Combined that with the many lamps turned on throughout the streets and the picture that Shiro got from the entrance of Windmire was nothing short of ghastly. 

As they entered more and more to the center of the city, things did not look much better, but Shiro noticed more shops and that the houses started to look bigger and even fancier, maybe even a bit more colorful, with how most windows were decorated with flowers, though he had no idea how they managed to keep them alive with the constant lack of sunlight. There was still a concerning lack of movement, which made him wonder just how that city worked. He heard his aunt comment how Windmire seemed more lively compared to the last time she had been there and was left shocked by how this was considered better.

They eventually approached the gates to the castle. Shiro could hear the shouts of the guards to open them and let the Hoshidan Queen pass and took a deep breath. If they were entering the lion’s den back at the entrance of Windmire, here they were basically throwing themselves into the lion’s mouth. Once they were opened and the carriage passed through them, Shiro was surprised to see that they started to descend in a long spiral. 

He remembered learning in one of his classes that Castle Krakenburg was built inside a crater, unlike Castle Shirasagi, that was built atop of the capital’s tallest hill and seemed to almost touch the sky. To Shiro, the sight of Castle Shirasagi was almost heavenly, while the sight of the obsidian Castle Krakenburg beneath them was nightmarish at best. The contrast couldn’t be more obvious and he almost wished they could go back to the part of the city that was above ground. 

“Shiro.”

“What?”

“It’s going to be fine,” Hinoka said with a small smile.

Shiro couldn’t mutter an answer and continued to watch their descent. He noticed that there were many entrances spread around the walls of the crater, no doubt they were the many entrances and exits of the complex tunnel systems he so much heard of back in Hoshido, the bright lamps that signaled each entrance served as the craters main source of light. He remembered being intrigued by how these would allow the nobles and army soldiers to travel around Windmire without having to be spotted on the surface. Nohr already had very little sunlight, but apparently Nohrians desired to travel in darkness. It was an idea beyond his comprehension.

They eventually reached the ebony bridge that connected their point to the castle at the center. Shiro, from his window, looked upwards. They were now so far away from the surface. There was no turning back, so Shiro took a deep breath and waited for the carriage to stop. And so it did.

“And we are here,” his aunt said. “Let’s go meet the king, Shiro.”

They got out of the carriage while the small group of servants approached them to pick up their luggage and belongings. The royal guard that accompanied them the entire journey were directed to leave their pegasi at the stables, while Asugi and Setsuna, their retainers, followed them close behind. As they approached the castle, Shiro looked upwards, noticing the towers with very sharp edges, almost like a giant spear. There were three other bridges that connected to other entrances to the castle, which made it look like the castle was crossed out when seen from above. Perhaps to facilitate access to the castle? Shiro did not know and he didn’t feel like pondering for long.

He could feel Asugi approaching from behind. “Remember, watch what you say to the Nohrian nobles,” he whispered. “I want to leave this place alive.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

The first thing Shiro expected when he got inside was that the interior of the castle matched the cold and sharp exterior. He was surprised to see that his expectation was way off the mark. The interior was also very well lit, as everywhere he looked he could see lit candles being held by delicate golden stems, which gave the room a distinct smell of burning wax. The castle walls were being overtaken by large and thick grown and golden tree roots. Combined that with the earthy colors of his surroundings and the extensive, red carpet that extended to the grand staircase at the center of the entrance, it felt like Shiro was buried underground.

Such a big place, and yet it was all so suffocating. He wanted to leave.

The second thing that Shiro expected was to see King Xander waiting for them, tall and intimidating, with a bloody cold stare that would judge Shiro’s every movement. He also was wrong about that assumption, as the person waiting for them by the grand staircase was not the king, but a woman with long silver hair and smiling red eyes, accompanied by what he assumed to be her maid. Her black dress looked overly complicated and the way it clung to her waist made it seem like she would run out of air. 

He could hear his aunt draw in a sharp breath and quickly glanced at her. She seemed to grow stiff as the woman approached them with open arms.

“Hinoka, it’s so good to see you again, my sister!”

Sister? So this woman could only be…

“Hello, Corrin,” Hinoka said, giving her a formal bow. “Thank you for having us.”

So that was the traitorous woman that his aunt one day considered her long lost sister. The former Hoshidan princess that was kidnapped by Nohrians at a young age and raised to be one of them. The one who helped King Garon invade their homeland and was one of the people responsible for the death of his parents.

Shiro gave her a curt bow, making sure to look her in the eye. He could already feel his aunt burning a hole in his head for the gesture, but it wasn’t as if Corrin would notice the less than respectful way he greeted her. Corrin tried to mimic their gesture, which came off as unnatural and forced.

“And you must be Shiro,” she said. “Thank you for accepting our invitation. I was looking forward to meeting you.”

“Likewise...”

She then pulled Hinoka into a hug. Shiro had to restrain himself from pulling her away from his aunt. He could only cringe as Hinoka awkwardly returned the hug. Those were some of the most agonizing three seconds he had to witness. Corrin then took a step back and seemed to look at them almost apologetically. Shiro wondered for just how long they had to pretend pleasantries before meeting the actual king.

“I apologize, but Xander is currently occupied with an urgent matter,” Corrin said. “He is doing his best to deal with it. He should be here as soon as possible.”

The nerve of that guy, Shiro thought. He knew all that time that they were coming to Nohr and he couldn’t organize himself better to give them a proper greeting?

“It’s alright, Corrin, we understand.”

“In the meantime, I shall keep you company until he arrives.”

Shiro wanted to tell her to get lost. As if reading his mind, he could feel Asugi slightly kick his heel, not enough to hurt him, but enough to startle him and stop whatever he was thinking. 

“So, did you make a safe trip?”

“It was quite uneventful,” she said. “And fast too! Though I have our combined efforts to build the bridge in the Bottomless Canyon to thank for that.”

Her posture was rigid and her voice dripped with a careful consideration that she only ever used when walking on eggshells when dealing with difficult nobles. It didn’t feel natural and both Shiro and Hinoka knew that. Corrin, on the other hand, did not, and continued making conversation as they waited. The conversation ranged from their trip to Hinoka adulating the apparently significant growth of Nohr to Corrin asking how his aunt Sakura was fairing and telling her that it was a shame she couldn’t come as well.

How lucky his aunt was, now living in the Wind Tribe with her husband and not having to deal with Hoshidan political affairs as closely as Hinoka or himself.

Eventually, a butler showed up and announced that His Majesty, King Xander, was coming. After that long, awkward conversation of walking on eggshells, Shiro almost wished that he would have arrived sooner. They heard heavy footsteps coming from above the grand staircase and turned their attention to the source of the noise.

Descending the grand staircase were three men. The one in the middle was King Xander, in all his tall, imposing stature, sharp features and stern eyes. His lips showed what Shiro assumed to be a welcoming smile, though they also helped highlight the premature wrinkles on his eyes and made it look like a deceptive lion trying to seem harmless to its prey. The man by King Xander’s right looked much younger, but unlike the king, he did not seem to try to look like a pleasant person, as his cold expression could be described as intimidating. Shiro assumed that this man was Prince Leo, King Xander’s right hand man and younger brother. He certainly looked like he fit the description Shiro heard of back in Hoshido, a beautiful, but cold and calculating man.

Now for the young man at the left… Shiro had no idea. He was almost as tall as King Xander, and yet, when compared to him, he seemed almost mellow, soft looking. He had a rather rigid way of walking with his hands behind his slender torso, but it was clear it was due to nervousness. In many ways, he resembled the king. Bright, golden hair neatly combed, skin so pale as it probably hadn’t seen sunlight in weeks and deep, dark brown eyes that suddenly made contact with his own, light gray ones.

There was an immediate tension between them as their eyes kept locked. There was something in them that drew Shiro’s gaze in, though he could not know for sure what it was. Could this man be…

“Ah, welcome, Queen Hinoka,” King Xander said. “Welcome!”

Shiro blinked, as if the king’s voice broke a spell on him. His attention went back to the man in the middle, who had his arms open in a welcoming gesture. Hinoka bowed, thanking him for his hospitality and Shiro found himself doing the same, this time actually doing a respectful bow.

“We apologize for making you wait,” the man in the right said. “An urgent matter appeared and had to be dealt with swiftly before we could properly greet you.”

“I hope you find it in your heart to forgive us for this indelicacy,” the king said.

“We understand,” Hinoka said and then gestured to her nephew. “May I introduce you to my nephew, Prince Shiro?”

“Ah, yes, the crown prince!” King Xander said with a big smile. “Welcome, Prince Shiro!”

“Thank you,” Shiro said. 

“Since this is our first encounter, I would like to introduce you to my brother, Prince Leo,” he said.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Prince Shiro,” he said. The small smile he forced came off as insincere, but Shiro did not care.

“Likewise.”

“And this is my son, Siegbert,” he said, pointing to his left.

So that was the mysterious Siegbert that Caeldori was so curious about. Shiro watched as he bowed to them, surprised to see how he mimicked their gesture so well. 

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Queen Hinoka, Prince Shiro,” he said. “I hope you find your stay here to be the most enjoyable.”

“Thank you, Prince Siegbert,” he said. “I’m… sure we will.”

He was so soft-spoken, it certainly matched his softer features. However, to see him standing side-by-side with his imposing father and his cold looking uncle, it also made him stand out in a weird way. So that was the guy that his friend wanted to keep tabs on and then gossip about when he returned. Was that just how he normally acted or was that reserved for special guests? Soft spoken and polite on the outside, but could very well be disguising his true nature. Whatever that true nature was. 

Shiro would keep an eye on him. He would not go out of his way to spend time with him, but he would still pay attention to Siegbert. For Caeldori.

“I am sure that it would be lovely to sit down and catch up, but the trip must have been exhausting for Your Majesty,” Prince Leo then said. “We have prepared a grand banquet in your honor that we will serve later in the night, so I would suggest getting some well-earned rest before that.”

“Oh, yeah, I would love to get some shut eye before eating,” Setsuna said. “Thaaaaanks!”

Shiro jumped at hearing his aunt’s retainer speak. Setsuna had been accompanying them so quietly, he almost forgot that she was there with them. He could almost hear Asugi muffle a chuckle from behind him. Hinoka shook her head in disapproval of her retainer’s casual tone towards the Nohrian royal family, but did not reprimand her in any way. Out of curiosity, Shiro tried to analyze Siegbert’s reaction to her response. 

He was looking at Shiro with a passive gaze, but had no interesting reaction. As soon as he noticed Shiro return his gaze, he averted his eyes.

So it was decided that before the banquet started, they would settle themselves and get some rest. Corrin insisted that she should guide Hinoka and Setsuna to their chambers, probably in hopes to spend more time with the queen, while Shiro and Asugi were to be escorted by the butler that announced King Xander’s presence before. The butler, a stiff man, for lack of better term, called Jakob, guided them through the west wing of the castle. 

The more they got inside, the bigger the sense of dread began to sink in for Shiro and Asugi. The castle’s corridors were large and well lit, but the sensation of feeling suffocated did not go away. If anything, being alone with his equally nervous retainer, only made him feel worse than before when he was with his aunt. They eventually reached the heavy looking door at the end of the extensive corridor and were told that Shiro would be staying at that room and that there was an antechamber inside it to accommodate his personal servant. Jakob said that should any trouble arise, they could call him or any nearby servant. Without waiting for an answer from any of them, he turned round and marched away.

As the two young men entered the sleeping chamber, they could feel themselves growing more relaxed. Maybe it was because it was just the two of them and Shiro didn’t have to worry about doing anything stupid in front of the Nohrians, but he could finally let out a breathe of relief.

“Well, we survived,” Asugi said.

“We survived.”

“I’m so proud of you, Shiro. You’ve managed to hold a conversation without insulting the king to his face.”

“Har har.”

“Listen, man, I’ll go get some shut eye,” he said. “You need anything?”

“Nah, go get some sleep, I’ll do the same soon.”

Asugi nodded and headed to the separate area in the chamber and flopped on the small bed that was inside. Compared to Asugi’s bed, Shiro’s was overwhelmingly big, certainly more extravagant than his futon. Why did the bed need posts that big with draping sheets? It looked overwhelming, but at the very least it looked comfortable. The fireplace had already been lit and offered a rather comfortable warmth to the room. He could see a mahogany wardrobe and desk at one side, his belongings placed by the side of the wardrobe, as well as a velvet couch near the fireplace. 

He was so tired that he went straight to the bed. Not only was the mattress bigger, but it was softer than his futon as well. He just hoped that that would not cause issues to his back. It didn’t take long for Shiro’s eyes to close and his mind to drift off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that I did not include Jakob in the tags, but he only made a small cameo in this chapter, so I felt like it wasn't worth it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the banquet, Shiro suffers a small setback that almost ruins his dinner. Good thing Siegbert is there to help him out.

“And it is with great honor and joy that we tonight dedicate this banquet to Queen Hinoka and our Hoshidan allies,” King Xander spoke, raising his silver goblet. “May our friendship be prosperous and everlasting!”

Shiro watched his aunt raise her goblet from the opposite side of the table. The dining table was already extensive, but with Hinoka sitting at the other side, it just made the size seem twice as big. Shiro found himself sitting in isolation, between Prince Siegbert and another noble that he could not be bothered to remember the name. Everyone raised their glasses and Shiro found himself doing the same, only lowering it once the king sat down on his seat at the edge of the table.

Despite feeling isolated in a table full of people, Shiro prayed to the Dawn Dragon itself that nobody would strike a conversation with him, as he was too afraid to say something out of line during conversation. He couldn’t even think of anything that could be considered an interesting topic. Shiro had to keep himself occupied with something else and so his attention turned to the food displayed in front of him. 

He gave a long sniff at the delicious smell coming from the tender looking steak on his plate, which in turn made his mouth water. There was also a nice selection of colorful vegetables to go with the meat, as well as a bow of broth for each guest to eat. The broth reminded him of the miso soup that was served to him before the main dish, which while it seemed fine, it was not as enticing as the pork. Unfortunately, as he was about to grab a slice of that magnificent meat, he came to the grim realization that he had little clue on how to handle Nohrian cutlery. He saw his own distorted reflection on the pristine silver ware, and while he could only see a vague shape that resembled him he knew that his expression was one of sudden anxiety.

Shiro contemplated his options. Either he could try his luck and go with what he thought was the right way to handle the cutlery, risking making a fool of himself just for a delicious piece of steak... or he could simply stick with the broth and pretend that he was not that hungry. At the very least he could use the spoon just fine and he remembered essential Nohrian etiquette. He briefly looked at the people around him, wondering if anyone was paying any attention to his dilemma. Thankfully, most of the nobles were too busy chatting between themselves to pay any mind to the awkward Hoshidan prince, but he knew that wouldn’t last long. So Shiro swallowed his pride and his desire to eat good meat and slowly took sips of his broth.

What a shame. To think that he was looking forward to that dinner. Not the event itself, but the food, as it was one of the few things in Nohr that he actually appreciated. 

There was, however, someone who immediately took notice of Shiro’s hesitation and while he did not realize at first why the prince was hesitating so much in eating the main meal, he started to get an idea of why when he began noticing that he did not touch the fork and knife set. 

“So, Prince Shiro,” Prince Siegbert said. “How was your trip?”

Shiro stopped taking the slow sips and turned his attention to the prince that sat by his side. He could almost feel his heart stopping as he began to wonder if he had noticed Shiro’s intentions behind the way he ate. Siegbert looked at him with a friendly smile and had his hands firmly placing his knife and fork on his plate. 

“It was… uneventful,” he said. “It was pretty tiring, if I’m being honest.”

“Well, I’m sure that such a tiring trip must have opened your appetite. I hope tonight’s meal is of your liking.”

“I, uh… I’m sure it will be,” he said, forcing a smile. It came off as so unnatural and ugly that Shiro almost wanted to laugh at himself.

“I fear that what I am about to say may sound like bragging, but we did select the finest meat to serve you and the Queen,” Prince Siegbert said. “Look at the texture, see how easy the knife slices it.”

His gentle eyes guided Shiro’s to his plate. Shiro focused on how his hands slowly sliced through the well done steak, on the way the Nohrian prince held the cutlery, how he positioned his fingers as he moved the knife and held the fork in place. The way he did almost looked like he was slicing through butter and it only made Shiro’s mouth water even more. As Prince Siegbert delicately took a bite of his steak, Shiro’s eyes unintentionally focused on his mouth. A thin trail of juice accidentally dripped from his thin lips and Prince Siegbert was quick enough to wipe it off with the pristine napkin he had on his lap.

Shiro had to eat that delicious steak, he refused to stick with some boring broth. With any luck, he could mimic what Siegbert had shown him perfectly and pretend that he knew what he was doing all along. He positioned his fingers in the same way, only taking a quick glance over the prince’s hands as he began taking another slice from his meal, before focusing on his own again. 

Handling Nohrian cutlery wasn’t so hard in the end. It was as Siegbert had said, the steak felt almost like butter as his knife smoothly sliced it, which helped in him managing the knife. The way the slice of the stake seemed to almost melt inside his mouth brought a smile to Shiro’s lips, one that he did not notice that made Siegbert smile as well. 

“You’re right, this is absolutely delicious!”

To think that he was going to pass on eating that wonderful dinner, that idea seemed ludicrous to him now. He noticed a few couple of curious, even impressed glances, from the other older nobles as they saw the awkward prince eating and making small chatter with the king’s son. They did not say a word, as they preferred to not disturb the young princes, but it was clear that they were just itching to say something to Shiro.

In the end, Prince Siegbert had saved his dinner and maybe his dignity. Shiro had to properly thank him once they were away from the other nobles’ eyes. 

The opportunity came once the event was over and people started to take their leave. Shiro had wanted to follow Siegbert and talk to him in private, but he was stopped by one of the very few nobles that seemed interested in talking to him from the beginning and couldn’t find an opening for that, a rather robust looking man that was known as Baron Obidos. Shiro tried to avoid him by giving him curt answers to his questions, but that seemed to make him hold him in his metaphorical grasp even more by making more complex questions that required actual answers.

“I understand if you do not feel like discussing this, but do you believe that there is something odd with the recent skirmishes within the south border between our nations?” he asked. 

“Like what? What do you mean with odd?”

“Well, it just so happens that the region of Obidos is nearby the area and there have been reports of these skirmishes happening just before recent ransacking of nearby villages by Hoshidan looking thugs, so...”

“And you’re implying what, exactly?” he asked, his irritation now apparent in his voice.

“Nothing! I simply want to know what do you think-”

“Baron Obidos,” Prince Leo called. “Instead of bothering our guest with inappropriate questions, how about you and I finish the discussion we had at the beginning of dinner?”

“Ah... yes, my prince,” he said. “Of course.”

There was an odd sense of satisfaction from Shiro as he saw the baron get upset at the cold prince for ruining his fun. He knew of the recurring skirmishes at that particular territory that Baron Obidos had mentioned, it just so happened that it was a commonly accepted within the Hoshidan court that it was the work of Nohrian thugs trying to cause a ruckus by disguising themselves as Hoshidans. If it was causing problems within Nohrian territory, that was their problem to deal with, not theirs. Hoshido’s only concern was to make sure that it was proven the thugs were not Hoshidan.

Now where was Prince Siegbert? Thanks to the baron’s insistence on having his attention, Shiro lost the guy from his sights. He could go looking for him, but he did not want to risk getting lost inside Castle Krakenburg. Certainly someone knew where he was, Shiro just had to know the right person to ask.

As he looked around he found a young looking butler passing by him. The boy in question only looked like a butler because of the pristine, black and white uniform that he had seen the castle’s butlers wearing, because as far as anything else went by, he looked like someone who had just gotten out of bed and had no clue where he was, be it from the slow and slightly curved way he walked or the rather messy silver hair.

Was the man okay? Maybe Shiro should check on him and then ask about the prince’s whereabouts.

“Hey, you,” Shiro called. “Butler! What’s your name?”

The man turned to him, a very clear tired expression on his face, judging by the dark eye bags. He bowed, a little too slowly for comfort.

“My name is Dwyer, Your Highness,” he said. “Do you need anything?”

Even the way he talked dragged on, Shiro couldn’t help but worry a little. What were those nobles doing to work this man out like that?

“I, um… are you alright?”

“If I’m… alright?” Dwyer asked. “What a weird thing to ask me, Your Highness.”

“But are you? Your face looks very tired.”

“I know, but that’s just how my face is. And my voice. I’m fine, thank you for worrying,” he said. “Will that be all?”

“No, actually, I need a favor. Do you happen to know where Prince Siegbert went to?”

“Prince Siegbert?”

“Yeah, there’s something I need to talk to him about, but I don’t know where he went,” Shiro said. “If you happen to know where he is, could you take me to him?”

“Hmm… I think the prince has already retired to his chambers...”

“Oh, so-”

“Ah, never mind, I think I know where he is,” Dwyer said. “Follow me, Your Highness.”

“You can call me Shiro.”

“Don’t mind if I do. Follow me, Shiro.”

Dwyer guided him through the extensive castle halls in slow steps, a real test of patience for Shiro, who had to restrain himself from walking ahead. Unlike the previous butler who attended him before, Dwyer was a lot more friendly. He was not the chatty type, as he remained silent almost the entire time, but it was clear from the few times he spoke that he was courteous and interested in what Shiro had to say.

They ended up arriving at the castle’s private library and Shiro was very surprised to see the prince hunched over a thick looking book, at a table further away from the entrance. He was so deep into his book that he needed Dwyer to raise his voice and announce that Shiro was there to see him. He muffled a chuckle as he saw the prince jump from his seat and look at them with a surprised expression on his face. It was clear that he did not expect Shiro’s visit and needed a few seconds to regain his composure. There was something in the way that that posh young man lost his composure from being caught off guard during his reading that was oddly endearing to Shiro. Meanwhile, Dwyer told them that he would let them be and left the vicinity.

The two princes stood in place, looking at each other without getting any closer or further from each other. 

“Hey.”

“Hello, Prince Shiro,” he said. “If there anything I can help you with?”

“Yeah- No, actually, I’m just here to thank you.”

“Thank me? For what, if I may ask?”

“For tonight’s dinner.”

“Oh, did you enjoy it? Well, I am happy to hear it! I told you that we have selected-”

“You know what I mean,” Shiro said. “With the cutlery. We both know that I was unsure on how to use them in the right way.”

“Ah… that,” Prince Siegbert said. “Think nothing of it, I understand that it was a little different from what you are used to.”

“A little is putting it lightly.”

“Alright, I suppose it was a lot different,” he chuckled. “On the other hand, I once have tried to use Hoshidan chopsticks and felt like a fool trying to keep a hold of my food.”

“Did you now?” Shiro asked. “Hey, you at least tried. I guess I should return the favor by teaching you someday.”

“I would very much appreciate it!”

“So I guess that’s all I wanted to say. Thanks once again for the help.”

“No problem at all,” he smiled. “Will I be seeing you tomorrow at the meeting?”

Shiro had completely forgotten about the meeting tomorrow and let out a groan at the thought of having to wake up early in the morning to discuss trading routes. That certainly caught Siegbert off guard.

“Did I say something wrong?” he asked.

“No, it’s just… I’m not looking forward to the meeting tomorrow, that’s all.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not very good at discussions like the one from tomorrow’s meeting.”

“That is very hard to believe, you ARE Hoshido’s crown prince,” Siegbert said. “Surely you must have knowledge over things that no one else has.”

“I may be crown prince, but I still think my aunt is much better at this sort of thing than I am.”

“Prince Shiro, I am certain that this is not the case. Do not deprecate your sense of leadership, I am certain-”

“Look, you don’t know me or what I can or can’t do,” Shiro said, snappy. “If you plan on giving me a lecture, then save it, I already have enough of that back at home.”

“I wasn’t planning on giving you a lecture by any means, I just think it’s important that you pay attention to things like this meeting. You shouldn’t want to avoid it.”

“It’s not like I’ll bail out of tomorrow’s meeting, alright? I’m not that much of an irresponsible prince, I’ll be there.” 

There was an uncomfortable silence between them, one that dared any of them to speak up. Shiro just wanted to thank him for helping out with dinner, not create a tension between them. Why did Prince Siegbert have to talk so much? It only made Shiro spew out thoughts that he did not want to spill out.

“I’m sorry...” Siegbert sighed. “I spoke out of turn.”

“What? You spoke out of…?” Shiro said, shaking his head. “It’s okay, water under the bridge.”

“I understand if you...”

“Prince Siegbert, it’s okay,” he said. “Don’t worry about it.”

Shiro’s potential irritation dwindled as he tried to show that he was not as hurt as Siegbert thought he was. He was a little hurt, but judging by how anxious the guy looked, one would think Siegbert had stabbed him with the sharpest words. It helped soften his heart a little, if only because he remembered the much harsher criticisms he constantly received back at Hoshido.

“Anyway, that’s all I wanted to say to you,” Shiro said. “I… guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow then.”

“Y-yes, of course.”

“So...”

“I suppose you’ll be returning to your chambers?”

“Yeah, I’m feeling pretty tired.”

“Alright, then,” he said, bowing. “Good night, Prince Shiro.”

“’Night, Prince Siegbert.”

He turned around and was ready to leave the small, private library, but stopped in his place before he could finish giving the first step. Prince Siegbert watched with curiosity the Hoshidan prince scratch the back of his head, back still turned to him, and fidget in his place, before turning to face him with an embarrassed look on his face. 

“I, uh… I’m not sure I remember the way back,” he admitted.

“Oh.”

“Could you...”

“Of course,” he nodded. “Follow me.”

Siegbert motioned to Shiro with his hand, who then followed the prince as he walked ahead from him. They did not exchange a single word on the way and neither showed any indication that they wanted to, however, the silence was not any better. Shiro’s eyes shifted from one corner of the corridor to another, going through the many candle lights that served as the only light source, anything to avoid staring at Siegbert and burning a hole in his head. 

They eventually found Dwyer on the way, looking fed up and probably with good reason, as he was escorting Asugi. “See, there’s your liege,” he said, his speech slow even with his voice showing slight irritation. “Now please, let me return to my duties.”

“Ah, my liege! Where have you been?” Asugi exclaimed. “I have been worried sick, don’t leave my side like this.”

Had Shiro not been so relieved to see Asugi arrive and break the tension between him and Prince Siegbert, he would be questioning him what was with that unconvincing theatrics of his. He saw the prince giving instructions to Dwyer to guide Shiro and Asugi back to their chambers, which certainly did not seem to please the young butler, but he obeyed regardless. Before leaving them, Prince Siegbert turned to Shiro one last time that night.

“I will see tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “Good night again.”

“Good night.”

\---------

Back at their shared chambers, Shiro saw Asugi taking a few couple of cookies from his pocket. He hoped that those were cookies that his retainer made for himself, but in the bigger chance that he couldn’t control himself and grabbed a few from the castle’s kitchen, he just hoped Asugi was not caught by anyone.

Asugi turned his nose. “Don’t give me that look,” he said. “These cookies were too good to ignore.”

“Seriously? You keep nagging at me to watch what I say or do and then turn around and steal sweets from the castle’s kitchen?!” Shiro asked in disbelief.

“I didn’t steal them,” Asugi scoffed. “I was scouting the castle, spent a little more time in the kitchen, met the nice lady baking these cookies, talked to her for a bit and then she offered some of them to me.”

“But they were not baked for you.”

“No, but if she gave them to me, she probably thinks it wouldn’t hurt her if she helped out a poor soul that was sugar starved.”

“Right, then...”

“But more importantly, what were you doing alone with Prince Siegbert?” Asugi asked.

“Prince Siegbert helped me out with something during dinner and I just wanted to thank him.”

“Should I ask?”

“No.”

“Alright, then,” he said. “So it was just that?”

“What else would it be?”

“I dunno, it’s just that it looked like you’ve spent a good amount of time with him, but...” he shook his head. “Never mind that. So what’s the prince like? Anything interesting to tell Caeldori?”

“He’s very posh... like he has a stick up his own ass the entire time.”

That answer earned a laugh from Ausig and was enough to end that particular conversation. Shiro went towards his bed and began to undress. It was only when it was just him and Asugi that he realized how exhausted he was. He barely did anything that day and yet he still found himself mentally exhausted, causing him to move and change into the robes available to him at a much slower pace. He could only wonder if that would last his entire stay. 

Asugi noticed his sluggish movements and offered him one of the cookies he held. Shiro took one and, after finishing it in two bites, continued to undress. He was not the biggest fan of sweets, but he appreciated Asugi’s sentiment regardless.

“Need any help there?” Asugi asked.

“I’m good.”

“You know, it is part of my job to help you out.”

“I don’t need to be pampered that much.”

Once he managed to change to his night robes, Shiro flopped in his bed, face turned to his soft pillow and arms spread as wide as possible. Asugi sat at the edge of the bed and watched him in amusement. 

“You better get a good night’s rest,” he said. “You gotta survive your stay here.”

“Tell me about it.”

“What are you gonna do tomorrow?”

“Aside from having to attend the meeting?” he asked, turning around to face him. “I haven’t thought about it.”

“While I was scouting the castle, I discovered where the training grounds of the castle are.”

That certainly piqued his interest.

“Asugi, please take me after the meeting is over,” Shiro said. “Please! It’s been so long since I got some proper training.”

“Sure,” he said. “Anyway, get some rest, will you?”

“You bet I will. See you tomorrow, Asugi.”

“See ya.”

Asugi got up and walked towards his own bed. Shiro simply watched him go before drifting off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone who has commented so far and showed their support! Your kinds words are the biggest motivations to continue this story!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the meeting ends, Shiro and Siegbert have the chance to talk more during one of Shiro's trainings.

Shiro did not know if he should feel relieved or even more nervous once he reached the room where the meeting would be held and realized that the only people participating would be him, his aunt, King Xander, his wife, Queen Charlotte, Prince Leo and Prince Siegbert himself. He expected some other lord to show up, but once everyone took their places on the extensive table and the king started to fiddle with his papers, Shiro knew that nobody else would show up. He glanced at Prince Siegbert, sitting up straight in his chair in a perfect posture, and hardened his lips. He wondered if the guy ever relaxed, though he himself could not throw stones in that regard, as he could feel a slight pain from how stiff his shoulders were.

The discussion itself was about wherever opening a new trading route near the northern regions of the borders between Nohr and Hoshido was a sound idea or not. King Xander began by introducing the proposal of opening a couple of new trading routes at the north of the border, which made Hinoka instantly frown. To her, while it would be beneficial to Nohrian merchants in the north, as the opening of those particular routes would save them a good few weeks of having to maneuver to the center of the border, there weren’t any major trading spots at the northern borders of Hoshido that could benefit from that project. 

Shiro agreed with his aunt.

King Xander and Queen Hinoka then proceeded to go back and forth in their arguments, with King Xander being aided by his brother and his wife, who not so much had convincing arguments like her brother-in-law, but sure tried to pull their heartstrings by saying their people needed that, while Shiro tried his best to back his aunt by agreeing with pretty much anything she said. He even tried by adding a few things he had memorized here and there, including how to open a route at that particular part of the border would require the building of yet another bridge, as the natural path was too dangerous and unstable for safe travel, which didn’t seem like a worthy investment. 

As they continued, Shiro couldn’t help but turn his attention to Prince Siegbert. He was oddly quiet during the discussion, not adding anything to it, not even supporting his father in his arguments. He kept observing the discussion, shoulders as stiff as they were since Shiro first noticed them. He remembered their conversation the night before, how he thought that the meeting was important for Shiro to participate in, and yet there he was, not uttering a single word.

Maybe he was about to step out of line, maybe he should let the prince be, but the conversation from last night kept rewinding in his mind, to the point where he couldn’t help but ask him:

“What do you think, Prince Siegbert? What is your opinion on this matter?”

He had to hide a smile as he saw the prince jump and get flustered at the sudden attention being turned towards him. 

“What… do you mean by that, Prince Shiro?” he asked. “I don’t think I...”

“I saw you studying so fervently last night, after dinner,” Shiro said, still trying his best to hide a smug smile. “And our conversation was so rich too! As Nohr’s crown prince, surely you must have something to add to this negotiation.”

The way he looked at him, it was clear that Siegbert was not pleased with Shiro twisting his words against him. 

“He is right, Siegbert,” King Xander said. “Please tell us what your thoughts are.”

“I don’t… I mean...”

“Speak up, boy!” Queen Charlotte said. “Help us out here!”

“I… think that Queen Hinoka and Prince Shiro may have a point,” Prince Siegbert said, to the surprise of everyone in the room. “From what I gathered, the opening of this road might cause them more cost than benefits.”

“Even with the number of villages near the border?” his father asked.

“The villages are usually very small and don’t have a good structure for commerce from what I gathered,” he said. “Maybe one or two, but it still… might not be worth it, I think.”

Shiro was surprised, maybe a little impressed that King’s son decided to disagree with his views. He expected him to echo his father’s reasoning, not go against what his family had been working towards.

“Is that so?”

Prince Siegbert was growing paler by the seconds, as if he was about to faint at any moment. Prince Leo looked at him with a clear disappointment in his face, while Queen Charlotte was simply shocked to see her son disagree with them. King Xander, on the other hand, continued with that stern, hard to read face, Shiro had no idea what could be going on in his head as he questioned his son in an impartial voice. 

It was clear to Shiro that the guy was not used to disagreeing with his family, judging by how he fidgeted and the discomfort in his voice. “Is he going to be okay?” he thought. 

“However, I…” he stuttered. “I was thinking...”

“Yeah?” Shiro asked.

“Well, in exchange for opening a safe route for Nohrian merchants in that area, we could offer to lower the taxes of importation of Hoshidan merchants that transit through Port Dia.” 

“Port Dia?” Prince Leo asked, incredulous. 

“It is an area that receives a high number of Hoshidan merchants, but it is also one of the most heavily taxed transit areas for merchants.”

“I see,” King Xander said. “Queen Hinoka, what do you think of this proposal?”

Shiro could see a spark of interest in Hinoka’s eyes, no doubt that would alleviate some of the constant complaining she received in court regarding the commerce in that particular place. He did not expect that kind of proposal to come out of Nohr’s crown prince, not when Nohr thrived from the high importation taxes. 

“I must say, that is a   
interesting proposal,” she said. “For that kind of exchange, we could certainly plan out the opening of the trading routes.”

The meeting ended in amicable terms, with Prince Siegbert’s suggestion being favored by everyone present, despite Prince Leo later complaining how he wouldn’t hear the end of it when he passed the information of changes in import taxation to Lord Dia. As for Shiro, he was grateful that the meeting was finally over. 

Despite feeling like he should congratulate Prince Siegbert for his quick thinking and maybe apologize for his teasing earlier, Shiro also wanted to enjoy the most of his free time before lunch by training at the training grounds Asugi mentioned discovering. After bowing and saying his farewells to his aunt and the Nohrian royals, he quickly turned on his heels and hurried to meet his retainer.

\---------

The castle’s training grounds were much bigger than Shiro expected, not to mention how it was located outside the castle’s main building, meaning that he had a good view from how deep within the crater he was. Placed right in the middle was an enormous statue of the Dusk Dragon, Nohr’s patron dragon, that seemed to glare at Shiro whenever he dared to look up and meet its sculpted red eyes. Its sharp wings were spread out in such a way that it seemed it would take flight and fight at any moment, its open mouth ready to bite down the first one who dared get close to it.

Being alone there with only his retainer and the Dusk Dragon brought a sense of dread within Shiro. He was so excited to spend some time honing his skills and distracting his mind, now he had to deal with that awful feeling. What a baffling idea, to put such a scary looking statue right at the center of the training grounds, patron dragon be damned! Shiro couldn’t begin to comprehend how anyone could feel protected by such a brute looking beast.

Still, he had to force himself to ignore it as best as he could. He unwrapped the naginata from the beige cloth that Asugi has enveloped it in and headed to the area with the dummies. He did not expect Asugi to join him, so he did not bother trying to convince his retainer to spar with him. 

“So how was the meeting?” Asugi asked.

“It was alright,” he answered.

He swung the naginata, a clean swipe of the blade cut right through its sturdy chest. Asugi sat on the floor and took out a lollipop from his pocket. 

“Just alright?”

“Yeah, but I gotta say, that Prince Siegbert can be a pretty smart guy,” Shiro said.

“Did he still look like he… how did you put it again?” he smirked. “Like he had a stick up his ass?”

“In the beginning, yeah,” he said. Another swing of the blade. “Can you believe that he wanted to stay silent during the entire meeting? Had it not been for me, he-”

“Had it not been for you? What did you do?”

“Nothing, I just told him that I wanted to hear his opinion because he was being so quiet.”

“How very noble of you,” he said, voice sarcastic. “I’m sure it was not done because you wanted to provoke him.”

“I never said I didn’t want to provoke him a little.”

“Has it occurred to you that maybe he was there just to learn and observe, not to actually participate?”

“What? Of course that wasn’t the case!”

“How do you know?”

“I just do,” he said. “If I was required to participate, why shouldn’t he?”

“You’re Hoshido’s crown prince and you will soon ascend the throne, of course you had to!”

“So is he,” Shiro then paused to think. “I mean, he will once his father kicks the bucket, which we don’t know if it’s going to take years or...”

“Are you crazy?! Stop saying shit about the king like this!” Asugi exclaimed, angrily. “And here, of all places! If anyone hears you, what do you think they’ll assume of you?!”

“It’s just us here, no one is listening.”

Shiro swung the naginata again. He was not wrong, Siegbert was as much of an heir as Shiro was, the only difference between them was that Shiro already had a set date when he would take the place of his aunt, while Siegbert’s time was still unclear. However, death was one of the few certainties everyone had in life, and no matter how healthy someone was, one could not predict what would happen the day after. If destiny decided to be cruel, Siegbert could ascend the throne even before Shiro did it. 

That was simply how life was. It was what happened to his parents. For all he knew, his father and mother were as healthy and young as they could be, and yet there he was, two years away from inheriting the throne because they were both buried deep underground.

With that in mind, Shiro knew that he had crossed the line with that comment. He was not wrong, but he shouldn’t say it there, lest he came off as someone wishing an ill fate to the king. Shiro decided that it was best to just keep his mouth shut and continue his training in peace or else Asugi would join in, but with the intent of actually hitting him.

After a few mindless swings, he heard footsteps coming from behind them in the distance. Shiro did not turn around, as he thought it was just a random soldier arriving, probably there to pick up something he had forgotten. According to Asugi, he had managed to convince people to let him train alone and in peace for the next couple of hours, so he did not expect anyone to come and catch up with training.

The visitor, however, was not a mere soldier, nor did he come to the training grounds to retrieve lost equipment. 

“Hello, Prince Shiro.”

Asugi jumped back on his feet and Shiro turned around towards the gentle and familiar voice, surprise apparent in his face when he saw Prince Siegbert walking towards him alone. A sudden wave of anxiety began to stir inside of Shiro, now fearful that the prince had been there the entire time that they had been talking. He had no idea how good his hearing was, but regardless, he prayed that the furrowed brows on his pretty face were there because of something else.

“Hey there, Prince,” Shiro said. “How long have you been here?”

“I have just arrived. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no, nothing,” he shook his head. “Nothing at all. So what can I help you with?”

“This may come off as a little embarrassing, but I wanted to thank you for what you did back at the meeting.”

“What did I do?”

“When you called my attention and made me speak my mind,” he said. “I was so hesitant to speak my mind in the beginning, since my opinion differed from my family.”

“Oh.”

“So I wanted to thank you for putting me in a situation that forced me to speak up,” Siegbert continued. “It was…”

“You’re not used to standing up for yourself near your family, are you?”

“I wouldn’t say it like that.”

“It’s alright, I kind of see where you’re coming from,” Shiro said. “Your father and uncle seem… imposing sometimes.”

“That is one way to put it.”

“But hey, you did pretty good back there,” he said in his utmost sincerity. “You even managed to help us out by giving a good solution! My aunt seemed very happy with your idea.”

“Oh, that is good to hear,” Siegbert smiled. “Though I suppose my uncle is not all that happy with his involvement in this negotiation.”

“I’m sure he will be fine.”

“Absolutely, but he will hate the hassle regardless.”

“I can imagine that.”

“So...”

“Anyway, Prince Siegbert, since you just got here...” Shiro said. “How good are you with the lance?”

“The lance?” he asked. “I would say that I am... decent, but my forte is the sword.”

“Oh, nice! So how about we spar a little?”

The Nohrian prince blinked, confused over the sudden invitation. He expected to simply thank the Hoshidan prince and leave him to train in peace, he did not expect for him to show an interest in his combat prowess. 

“I’m not sure I can accept-”

“Are you busy right now?”

“No.”

“Then humor me for a moment and spar with me,” he said. “I have my retainer, Asugi, but he refuses to be my partner, you see. I feel awful lonely.”

Asugi let out an offended gasp, but did not try to defend himself. “Your words hurt me, my lord,” he said.

“But am I wrong?”

“This is not a matter of you being right or wrong,” Asugi said. “As much as I loathe to admit it is clear that you desire to spend more time with His Highness, Siegbert, so I will leave you two be.”

Siegbert watched him with curiosity, but said nothing as he watched he ninja quietly walking towards the statue in the middle of the training grounds and slumping against the base. As for Shiro, that was an opportunity for him to see if Prince Siegbert’s combat abilities were as good as his ability to kiss his guest’s ass.

“I suppose I could spare a moment to train with you...”

“Awesome!” Shiro gave a toothy grin. “Think you can give it a go at using a lance or do you need to switch to the sword?”

“Like I said, I am decent at it.”

“If you say so.”

Siegbert went towards one of the training grounds cabinets and took out two wooden lances out of it. Shiro wondered why he got two instead of one, until he realized that the weapon he had been using to train was a real, sharp naginata, which was fine if he was lashing out blows against a non-living dummy, but could have terrible consequences on the very alive Siegbert. When he handed the wooden lance to him, he noticed how lighter it felt and how the tip was shaped differently than the shape of a naginata’s blade. Shiro wondered just how much that shape would affect his usual movements, which made him all the more excited to try it out.

Shiro watched as Prince Siegbert took off his tight looking purple vest, giving him more freedom of movement once he was wearing just the loose white shirt underneath. They got in position, with Shiro analyzing every little thing in his form. He seemed to have a steady position and a good grip on his weapon, but little desire to give the first step. It looked like Shiro would have to go first then.

He lunged at the prince in front of him, who gracefully parried his attack and forced him to step back. Shiro then tried to swing the lance sideways, trying to hit the opening he just got from Siegbert defending himself, but found himself frustrated when the prince managed to catch the attack and swing the lance in a way that forced him to back away in and keep a safe distance from him. Prince Siegbert was not wrong when he said he was decent when it came to fighting with a lance, though what Shiro could understand as he continued to attack, it seemed that he was decent at defending himself with a lance. Shiro had yet to see him try to attack him, which made him grow more frustrated with each blocked attack, each time Shiro was forced to step back.

The good part was that fighting with the wooden lance was not all that different from the naginata. It allowed him less dynamic swinging movements due to the lack of a curved tip, but it had the same length and weight, which was what he was most accustomed to. It came off almost naturally to him.

They went on that back and forth for a while. Shiro attacked, Siegbert defended and only attacked in a way that would force him to step back. They then would go back to square one and try again. He tried feigning some of his attacks, hoping to catch him off guard and punish him, but it seemed like Siegbert knew what he was hoping to achieve and didn’t fall for his fake attacks. The way that Siegbert did all of that with a straight and serious face, as if none of that was bothering him, only made Shiro’s irritation grow.

Eventually, Shiro grew tired of that stalemate and decided that he had enough. He noticed that Siegbert was starting to show signs of fatigue, judging by how the way he blocked yet another advance of his came off as a bit more sluggish than the previous time. That was his chance! Taking the opportunity presented to him, Shiro put all his strength in his lance and swung it in a way that disarmed the prince. 

He grinned as he heard him yelp in surprise at the sudden exposure and lose his balance with Shiro gaining space between them. Siegbert tripped and fell on his back, with Shiro then pointing the tip of lance at his chest, signaling that he was the winner of that long, arduous match.

“You are... the better fighter...” Siegbert murmured in between heavy breaths.

“What did you say?”

“You win,” he said. “You have bested me.”

Shiro retracted his lance and offered his hand to the fallen prince, who graciously took it and got up. He was still trying to regain his breath, so Shiro waited a few seconds, before saying:

“And you have the nerve to say you’re decent at fighting with a lance.”

“I… I know that I am inadequate, but this is the best that I can do at the moment.”

“Inadequate?! No, you were pretty freaking good!” he said. “If this is decent, I wish to one day go against what you consider excellent!”

“O-oh, so that’s what you meant.”

“You sure you can’t go for another round?”

“I would love to get the second chance to show you what I can do, but I fear I must be going.”

“Lord Siegbeeeert!” a loud and shrill voice called.

They turned their attention towards the voice and saw a young woman walking in quick steps towards them. Judging by her wild pink hair that cascaded down her waist, the baggy, combat oriented clothes that she wore and just by how she so casually approached them, it was clear that she was no ordinary maid or servant.

“There you are, Lord Siegbert,” she said. “I have been looking for you!”

“Soleil, this is Prince Shiro, of Hoshido,” Siegbert said. 

Shiro awkwardly waved his hand as Soleil let out a sincere gasp and clumsily bowed at him. Despite her initial surprise, Soleil grinned at him, a grin so contagious that it caused Shiro’s lips to tilt slightly upwards.

“Hi, Prince Shiro! Name’s Soleil and I’m His Highness Siegbert’s retainer!” she announced. “It’s very nice to meet you!”

“Nice to meet you too, Soleil,” he said. “The moody looking guy by the statue is Asugi, my retainer.”

“Hey!” Asugi exclaimed.

“Hi, colleague!” she exclaimed, waving at him. She grinned as Asugi waved back.

“Anyway, Soleil, what do you want?” Siegbert asked. “You looked quite agitated.”

“Oh, right! I came here to tell you that Forrest has been looking for you. You better find him before he decides to head to town without you.”

“Absolutely not,” he said, then turning to Shiro. “Prince Shiro, thank you for our sparring session. I must be going now.”

“No problem. Take care out there.”

He watched Prince Siegbert retrieve and put on his vest and follow the very spritely Soleil, before turning around to look at Shiro.

“Prince Shiro, before I leave, I want to make you an invitation,” he said.

“Sure?”

“Would you like to come visit our hunting grounds with me tomorrow?”

The fact that they had hunting grounds came off as a surprise to Shiro and made him wonder if it could even be compared to the lush grounds at Castle Shirasagi. It also occurred to him that it was also the perfect opportunity to leave that suffocating castle and get some fresh air.

“Yeah, I’d love to!” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, then?”

“Yes,” Siegbert smiled. “Until then.”

“See ya.”

Shiro waited for the pair to leave his sight before grabbing his naginata and going back to training by himself. He turned his attention to Asugi, who had been watching everything from the same spot.

“You’re going to accompany us,” Shiro said. “You know that, right?”

“Can’t let you go alone with just the prince and his loud servant, can I?”

“No, no you can’t.”

Shiro swung the naginata. He had to admit to himself that Prince Siegbert seemed to be an alright guy. Caeldori would enjoy what he had to tell her about him once he returned, that he was sure. It felt weird to admit, but Shiro did look forward to tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro, Siegbert and their retainers go hunting and come to a grim realization that maybe they are just not that good at archery.

“Alright, here we are,” Prince Siegbert announced.

Shiro got down from his saddle and took a good look at the grounds in front of him. He had mixed feelings over the view. On one hand, it was nice to be outside the underground castle and see actual forestry after being confined inside for a few days. On the other hand, the weather was awful, as expected from Nohr by that point, with the gray sky so dark one could easily mistake the morning for the end of the day. There was also the fact that the land looked a bit too barren, though Siegbert claimed that they were working on restoring it to its natural beauty, before years of neglect from King Garon’s rule. In retrospect, Shiro was to blame for thinking the Nohrian hunting grounds could compare to the lush grounds that he was used to.

Despite his slight disappointment, he was grateful for Siegbert’s invitation and even more thankful that their trip involved just them and their retainers, he couldn’t ask for better company. He watched Asugi and Soleil dismount from their own horses and prepare their weapons. Neither Shiro nor Siegbert had a lot of experience with the bow, but they would still try to hunt a few birds that would most likely show up, since according to Siegbert, it was a good season for that.

While Shiro wouldn’t mind practicing his bow skills, he did not think that it would be particularly interesting to have two guys flinging their arrows around and most likely failing to catch small animals at all. If they were to practice shooting arrows, maybe a larger target would be a better practice. His sight turned to the forest in front of them.

“Hey, Prince Siegbert, I was thinking...”

“Mhm?”

“Instead of trying to hunt for birds in an open field, why don’t we go for something more interesting?”

“Something more interesting?”

“Yeah, how about we go for something bigger and ground bound?” he asked. “Surely there must be some deer by the forest, right?”

“Yes, there are,” Siegbert said. “However, there have been reports of wild boars roaming around the forest recently. If we are to hunt there, we need to be careful to not get their attention.”

“Yeah, the wild boars here can be pretty vicious,” Soleil said. “One time my father’s colleague tried to hunt one on her own and had it not been for the king himself to rescue her, she would be a goner.”

“That sounds… troublesome,” Asugi said, hesitant. “We’re just in a group of four. You sure it’s okay to go?”

“If we remain cautious, I believe there shouldn’t be a problem.”

“It’ll be fine, you worry too much!” Shiro said. “Lead the way, Prince Siegbert!”

The group headed to the forest and the first thing Shiro noticed was how significantly darker everything became. He had underestimated just how thick the vegetation could get and how difficult could be for the already dim silver light to pass through the treetops. As they headed deeper into the forest, Shiro began to notice how difficult it was to see clearly, to differentiate the shadows of the trees from the shadows of anything else. He cursed in his mind whenever he found himself tightening the grip on his bow every now and then. Judging by Asugi’s agitation, with him looking everywhere and holding the hilt of his dagger at any slight unidentified movement, it appeared that he was facing the same vision problems.

Siegbert and Soleil, on the other hand, seemed perfectly fine, or as close to fine one could be in a dark forest, with the possibility of encountering a vicious wild animal. They kept a close eye on their surroundings, but were not nearly as jumpy as Shiro or Asugi. Shiro came to the conclusion that he would have to go with the flow and follow the two, instead of trying to actively find anything.

Minutes of walking turned into an hour and Shiro began to wonder if they would actually find anything. It wasn’t as if they were experts and came in prepared to track and hunt down deer, but after a long time of only seeing trees and the occasional hare or bird, it would be nice to see just about anything that was bigger than that. Eventually, they came to a halt as Soleil, who walked ahead, extended her arm and placed her index above her lips.

“Guys, I think I see something,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “There’s a deer over there.”

They looked at where she was pointing and at first Shiro couldn’t quite figure it out the shape in between the bushes and trees, but soon he realized that Soleil was telling the truth. That girl had some good eyes, the prince had to admit.

“So how do you want to do this, Prince Siegbert?” Shiro whispered. “Do you want to give the first shot?”

“You may go first.”

Of course he would say that. “Alright, I’ll finish it in one clean shot,” he proclaimed in a whisper. “Watch this.”

Shiro adjusted his bow and aimed at the animal as best as he could, trying to remember everything that his aunt tried to teach him. Taking a deep breath, closing one eye, he shot at the deer. Fwooosh! The arrow flew at an impressive speed and the shot would have been even more impressive if it had actually hit the deer.

“Damn!” he cursed under his breath, as he watched the arrow scrape by and hit a tree trunk instead.

The deer panicked as it realized the attempt at its life and ran away, earning a groan from Shiro and a smile of amusement from Siegbert.

“Aww, don’t worry, Your Highness,” Soleil said. “You did very well for someone who isn’t used to our dark forests, you were very close!”

Shiro could feel Asugi holding his laughter from behind him, be it from his failure in landing the shot or at Soleil’s attempt at cheering him up. He almost wanted to ask Siegbert if he would like to trade retainers, since Soleil so far was the only one who tried to cheer him up.

“You think it’s possible to go after it?” he asked, instead.

“Probably not,” Prince Siegbert answered. “But we are likely to find another one nearby.”

“Okay,” he said, adjusting his bow and arrows over his shoulder. “I hope your aim is better than mine.”

“I cannot promise anything.”

The prince still had that amused smile, one that Shiro kind of wanted to wipe it off his face by proving he could hit that deer, but also wouldn’t mind if it stayed on for a while. Maybe it was because he was usually so serious. It was nice to see him being more open for once. He watched Siegbert walk ahead and guide them through the forest as best as he could, since even he had difficulties seeing the faint hove prints on the soft ground. 

They eventually found another one, only for them to lose it again once Siegbert also missed his shot. Soleil tried to console him, Asugi was not crazy enough to show amusement at the prince’s failure and Shiro felt oddly sympathetic for him, his sympathy only growing as Siegbert turned his attention to him and gave him an awkward smile. Both of them sucked at archery, that was the plain truth, yet there was something comforting in their silent agreement over that. It almost made him ignore the growing irritation over being in that dark, stuffy forest.

“How about we try one more time and then we go back to the open fields?” Shiro asked. “Next deer we find, we both try shooting at it. Whoever lands the shot, wins.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Siegbert answered.

“Changed your mind, milord?” Asugi asked.

“It isn’t as if we came here to specifically bring anything back anyway,” he said. “Right, prince?”

“My intention was primarily to show you around, I don’t mind if we return from this forest empty handed.”

He also did not want to humiliate himself even further in front of the Hoshidan prince, Siegbert was more than grateful that Prince Shiro decided to cut their moment in that forest short. They wandered around for a few minutes and were lucky enough to find another deer in the distance. This time, both of them drew their bows and pointed their arrows at the animal. One last shot. If they hit it, they hit it. If not, they would let it be and return to the open fields. 

“Now!”

Shiro shot first and managed to hit the deer on its flank, causing it to sloppily gallop away in a struggle. Due to Siegbert’s slight hesitation, he had to try to adjust his aim and stop the deer from running away, so he pulled the string and shot the arrow. It did not find its way to the deer, who managed to get away, leaving trails of blood behind. The poor animal would agonize for a while and Siegbert worried if they should try to follow it and put it out of its misery. 

Unfortunately, the arrow found its way into a different animal. Everyone felt their blood freeze as a horrifying screech resonated through the forest, not far away from them. Against all odds, the arrow ended up hitting a wild boar with a trunk as massive as a barrel of wine, now absolutely furious over the attack. Shiro could feel the color draining from his face as he saw the bushes shake frantically, until the wild animal showed, charging at him in fury. 

“Shiro, watch out!” Asugi shouted.

Shiro jumped to the side as Asugi threw a dagger at the boar and scraped the side of its head, drawing its attention to him. Soleil immediately drew the sword she brought as a precaution and thrusted at the unhinged animal that charged at her colleague, a swift movement that stabbed the animal very close to the neck, hitting instead its large, massive flank. In a last attempt to struggle against its attackers, the boar violently shook its head, causing Soleil to lose the grip on her sword and knock her over. 

Siegbert froze in a panic. Despite the blow, the boar would not go down without a fight. There was no time for Soleil to get up and get away from the animal that was about to stomp her to death.

“Soleil!” Shiro yelled.

Without hesitation, Shiro pulled his bowstring and shot at the boar. A terrifying, guttural screech escaped from the boar as the arrow hit it in the neck. The beast tumbled to the side, giving Soleil enough time to get back on her feet and step back. Asugi then took out another dagger and this time managed to pierce its eye. As the boar stumbled from one side to the other, they stepped back and waited, until it finally collapsed on the floor and stopped breathing. 

The group still hesitated to approach the fallen boar and try to retrieve their weapons from its body, as they feared it would suddenly rise and charge at them. Siegbert cautiously approached the animal and retrieved the sword, the boar did not show any signs of pain. With shaky hands, he returned the sword to Soleil, doing the same for Asugi’s knife and Shiro’s arrow. They all collectively let out a sigh of relief over the passed danger. 

“That was…” Siegbert hesitated. “Soleil, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Lord Siegbert!” Soliel said, chipper as ever. “See? No bleeding or scratches!”

“No bruises as well?”

“Hang on, let me check.”

Shiro’s jaw dropped as he saw what Soleil meant with that. Without showing even the slightest of hesitation, she prepared to take off her shirt and was about to roll it up her head, showing just the slightest amount of her belly, before Siegbert immediately grabbed her arms and forced her to stop.

“Soleil, no,” he said. “We’ve already talked about this.”

“I, uh...” she said, looking at their guests. “Sorry, force of habit.”

“What kind of habit is that?!” Shiro thought. He then glanced at Asugi, who looked equally as shocked. His retainer than shook his head and asked:

“Anyway, what are we going to do with the boar?”

“We could try to bring it back, but...” Siegbert said. “I don’t know how I would be able to face father and Queen Hinoka and tell them what has transpired for us to get it.”

“Hey, why don’t we leave it here?” Soleil asked. “It will get eaten up by vultures eventually anyway.”

“That’s... grim, but you’re not wrong,” Shiro said. “Let’s get back to the castle.”

They exited the forest in complete silence and returned to where they had stationed their horses. Their trip back to the castle was quiet for most of the time, with only Soleil and Asugi exchanging small talk every once in a while. Shiro kept glancing over his shoulder, to where the Nohrian prince was, riding with his head hanging low, an expression of regret on his face. Shiro did not understand why he looked so defeated, the fact that they were returning all in one piece should have been something to be proud of. He almost regretted not insisting that they bring the boar back to the castle and have it be served as dinner, but that would probably be too much trouble for the four of them to carry the heavy body.

The group entered through the back of the castle and headed to the stables to leave their horses there. As soon as the horses were installed in their respective stables, Siegbert asked if Shiro could stay so he could speak with him. Noticing that her lord wanted to have that conversation in private, she motioned for Asugi to follow her and the two retainers left. Shiro already had an idea of what he wanted to talk about, if the need for that conversation to happen away from a possible passerby in the castle was any indication.

“Prince Shiro, I want to apologize for today,” he said.

“You mean the sudden boar hunt?”

“Yes, that.”

“What are you apologizing for?” Shiro asked. “The boar came out of nowhere and attacked us. I think we should be grateful that we are all okay, don’t you think?”

“It only attacked us because of my careless aim,” Prince Siegbert insisted. “I have put all of us in grave danger.”

“Your aim sure was off, but...” Shiro sighed as he saw the man get anxious. “Prince, whose idea was to go into the forest and hunt larger animals? Mine or yours?”

He gave a cheeky smile as Prince Siegbert hesitated and took his time to think of the obvious answer that both of them knew.

“It was yours.”

“Yeah, pretty much,” he said. “So, I apologize for that dumb idea.”

“You simply suggested we should go into the forest, I could have said no and not indulge it.”

“And Asugi asked if everything would be alright and I insisted that we go.”

“Well...”

“Prince, I understand that you feel guilty for saying yes and missing your mark, but I’m not accepting an apology for something that was not entirely your fault. It was not just your decision and to think it was would be pretty selfish of your part.”

“I… see.”

There was a genuine relief in his voice that only made Shiro’s smile widen. He thought that he was beginning to understand the Nohrian prince little by little. Prince Siegbert was sweet and overly polite, but also to the detriment of his peace of mind if he thought he was making Shiro even slightly upset. That concern for his well-being felt genuine, sincere. Shiro was used to superficial politeness and caring for him due to obligation from other people, he liked to think that he knew when someone was being genuine. Prince Siegbert was showing to be a much different person than what he thought he would be before coming to Nohr.

He wouldn’t mind spending more time with him during the rest of his stay in Castle Krakenburg.

“Now let’s put all of this behind us, yeah?”

“Ah, Prince Shiro, Siegbert, what a coincidence to meet you here.”

Shiro’s mood soured as the owner of the voice approached them, sporting a more casual outfit instead of the embellished, royal garb he usually wore when greeting him. It did nothing to dissipate the image of the stern tyrant that he had of King Xander, it only caused him even more distaste for seeing him there. He felt blood rising to his ears. He wanted to wipe that forced smile off of his face with his fist, but he instead just forced himself to give back the same uncomfortable smile of acknowledgment.

“Good afternoon, father,” Prince Siegbert said. “We have just arrived from the hunting grounds.”

“Oh, that is good to hear,” King Xander said. “Have you caught any good game?”

“There weren’t many birds today, nor were they big enough for us to land good shots.”

“That is unfortunate...”

Seeing the king and his son standing side by side, it made Shiro want to pull Siegbert away from his father as far away as possible. Maybe it was due to the lingering relief of escaping near death, but he was starting to like the guy, he could see them becoming good friends. He did not want to be reminded of his association with that man.

“We still had a good time, though,” Shiro said. “Even if we didn’t catch anything, your son is very good with the bow. With some refinement of his skills, he could become an excellent archer.”

He received a mortified look from the prince. He would apologize for teasing him later, right now he just enjoyed how easy it was to get a reaction out of him without him blurting it out to other people.

“It pleases me to know that you had a good time,” King Xander said. “Speaking of refining skills, Siegbert, I have some unfortunate news.”

“You won’t be able to attend our sparring session tomorrow,” he said. “Have I guessed it right?”

“Yes, I am so sorry, son.”

“It’s alright, I understand that you have been busy lately,” he smiled. “We can schedule it for next week.”

“Of course, I look forward to it.”

The two princes excused themselves and left the stables. Once they were out of his sight and earshot, Siegbert let out a disappointed sight and ran his fingers through his neatly combed golden hair, messing it up in a way that Shiro was not used to seeing.

“So I take it that this isn’t the first time he cancels his training with you?” Shiro asked.

“It has been weeks since we got to practice together,” he answered. “Or simply spend time together for more than a few minutes.”

“He seems like a busy man.”

“Lately he has been busier.”

“Well… if you want, we can train together,” Shiro said. “Maybe we could practice some archery and actually get good at it.”

“I wanted to dig a hole in the ground when you mentioned me being good with the bow,” Siegbert sighed. “Now my father will have false expectations over what I’m capable of.”

“Come on, it was just a joke. Don’t take it so seriously.”

“I have a hard time seeing what’s funny about it.”

“Okay, so it was not a good joke, sorry,” Shiro said. “But I do mean it when I say I’d like for us to train together again.”

“Really?”

“You’re a good fighter, Prince Siegbert. I would like to test your skills when you are actually battle ready, not just passing by,” he said.

“I appreciate it, but… hmm...”

They stopped walking and Shiro just watched the prince in front of him twist his mouth in a thoughtful gesture. “What is it?” he asked.

“Prince Shiro, I suppose you are free tomorrow, yes?”

“I have no plans for tomorrow, no,” he said. “Why do you ask?”

“I was wondering if you would like to spend the day tomorrow visiting Windmire city,” Prince Siegbert said.

“Really?” Shiro asked, surprised. “Isn’t your schedule busy for this kind of trip?”

“In theory, yes, but...” he said. “Let’s just say I am not canceling my schedule, I am just substituting what it is in it.”

“I like the way you think, prince,” Shiro said with a toothy grin. 

As they approached the east wing of the castle, Siegbert turned to Shiro and announced that he still had lessons to attend to very soon, but that he would make sure to make the necessary preparations for their trip tomorrow. They said their goodbyes for now and went their separate ways.

\---------

As the evening approached, Shiro decided to take a walk through the artificially constructed gardens of the castle. He was rather impressed by how much greenery and flowers the gardens displayed, since he doubted any sunlight could find its way there. He remembered Prince Leo commenting how a couple of months after King Xander ascended the throne, the garden became a small project for the Nohrian dark magicians to try to reconstruct from its state of decay and try to make it grow into a beautiful, green area without any sun. By the way he talked about the technicalities and research, he seemed very proud of it and now Shiro understood why. To see a vibrant and beautiful garden grow with magic alone was nothing short of impressive.

He wondered if that little experiment could extend to the barren and difficult lands. The idea was to, should the project succeed, extend it and try to make Nohr’s agricultural business flourish. He hoped that was the case, it would be much easier for Hoshido if Nohr could be self sufficient in that regard.

There was another reason why he wanted to visit the gardens that evening and it had to do with his aunt, who really could use his company as a way to escape her estranged sister. He watched Hinoka graze her fingers over a bright blue flower and give out a long sigh.

“Thank you for being here, Shiro,” she said. “I know this won’t last long, but I’m happy that we get to spend some time together.”

“We barely got to talk since we got here, so yeah, I’m happy too.”

“How has your time here been so far?”

“It has been… way less tortuous than I thought it would be,” he admitted. “I guess that spending time with Prince Siegbert has helped.”

“Well, I did not expect that answer,” Hinoka said, turning away from the flower. “So King Xander’s son has passed through your rigorous standards?”

“You make it seem like I have high standards for friendship.”

“You arrived in Nohr ready to dismiss anyone who crossed your way.”

“Oh, come on! It’s not like that!” Shiro said. “I just… did not expect to find decent people here, that’s all.”

“I’m glad that you are wrong then, because I’m not sure we would be able to survive this trip if that were the case,” she chuckled.

“But the moment you got your chance to avoid Corrin, you took it.”

“Don’t… don’t say it like that. That’s not what this is.”

“Noooo, of course not.”

“Don’t use that voice with me.”

“Okay, I’ll stop,” he said. “So you are not avoiding Corrin?”

“I am taking a break,” she said. “I’ll get back to her eventually.”

They walked in silence for a few seconds, each admiring the flowers that caught their attention the most, before Shiro stopped and turned to Hinoka.

“Auntie, I know that it’s important to keep relations with them, that I can understand,” he said. “But why do you treat Corrin so gently? Why do you indulge her?”

“Because it is important to-”

“I know, but the way you spend time with her, the time you spend writing her letters when we are back home...” he continued. “I’m sorry if this is me speaking out of turn again, but I can’t see it as just keeping a political alliance. The way you speak with King Xander, Prince Leo? Yeah, I can understand, but Corrin...”

“Shiro, that is enough,” she said, sternly. “I understand your concerns, but I don’t want to have this conversation now. You will respect this wish.”

“I… oh, fine, whatever.”

Hinoka clicked her tongue in annoyance and decided to focus on the path ahead of them, with Shiro realizing that her steps were growing faster. It was for the best to change the topic as soon as possible, or else she wouldn’t slow down.

“So yeah, Prince Siegbert,” he blurted out. “Great guy, we’re going out to town tomorrow.”

That certainly got her to slow down, stop even. Hinoka turned to him with a surprised look in her bright brown eyes and let out a confused “huh”. 

“He invited me,” he said. “I thought that it would be nice to get to know the city better.”

“That’s really kind of his part,” she said, only to later give out a teasing smile. “I hope I can find time to talk with him and ask him what kind of spell he used to make you open up so quickly.”

“You don’t even need to ask, just spend time with him that you’ll see.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

As they continued their stroll, they met Dwyer along the way, along with a confused Setsuna. 

“Ah, milady,” she smiled. “I was looking for you. Dinner’s going to be served.”

“Ah, yes, thank you Setsuna,” she said, only to then turn to Dwyer. “Where did you find her, butler?”

“Stuck inside one of the kitchen cabinets,” Dwyer said. “She told me that she was going to look for you, so I decided to bring her here.”

“Setsuna, how in the world do you get stuck inside a cabinet?” 

“I was just checking around to see what they were going to serve for dinner and… I dunno,” she said. “Dwyer was very kind to get me out of there and bring me here.”

“Just never go near the kitchen again, okay?” Dwyer said. “Or anything where you can get stuck in.”

“Now that’s a challenge for her,” Hinoka murmured.

“What was that, milady?”

“Nothing, let’s head back. Come on, Shiro, Setsuna,” she said, turning to Dwyer. “Thank you very much for your assistance.”

“Think nothing of it, Your Majesty.”

Their small moment of respite was over, it was time to return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry for taking so long to write this chapter, the turn of the year was very busy.


End file.
